Last Friday night the SJA Saints battled the St. Peter Saints for regular season second place in the SCC on the line. Our Saints came up short losing on the road to St. Peter 35-33.

It was the second tough Friday night loss in a row for SJA. Two Fridays ago the Saints lost the chance to get at least a part of the conference championship when the wrestlers lost at home to BEA.

Another tough one for the Saints to take about the most recent loss is the fact it’s the first time St. Peter has beaten the Saints since 1979-1980.

Head Coach Gene Hildebrandt said the boys just gave up too many pins. The Saints were put on their backs at four weights. However, Coach Hildebrandt doesn’t think his wrestlers would lose by pins if they faced their St. Peter opponents again. It was just one of those nights where the wrestling breaks went against SJA.

Cody Hanson and Richy Soto got decisions for SJA. Mark Avarado at 138 and Zack Gleiter at 152 got pins for the Saints. Gleiter’s was lightening fast, as he pinned his opponent in 33 seconds.

But SJA lost at 160, 170 and 182 by two pins and a technical fall. That gave St. Peter their 35 points.

The Saints would have to pin out to win it. Devin Wolle got a pin at 195. At 220, Adrian Torres put his opponent on his back and, “Came within an eyelash of pinning his guy,” Hildebrandt said. But Adrian didn’t get the call and he won a decision by a 6-5 score.

Victor Torres pinned his man in 44 seconds in the heavyweight bout.

Up next for SJA is the SCC Tournament in New Ulm on Saturday. Seedings will not be made until Saturday morning.

Several Saints should be highly seeded in the tournament.

Some good news for the team is senior Isaac Carreon should be back to wrestle at the beginning of the state wrestling individual and team tournaments.

It was feared Carreon had torn some knee ligaments and was lost for the season.

Coach Hildebrandt reported Isaac only had suffered a knee sprain and was rehabbing the injury.

That’s very good news. The captain and last year state qualifier has been out the last couple of matches. He might have made a difference in either of those matches.

Saints fans would like to see Isaac end his career on the mat and not watching from the sideline. It looks like he’s going to get that chance.